Jon Hamm Promises "Evening of Total Fabulosity," Gets Rejected on '90s Dating Show—Watch Now!

Mad Men hunk wasn't quite his dapper, smooth self at age 25 on The Big Date

By Rebecca Macatee Apr 04, 2014 3:30 PMTags

Jon Hamm wasn't always dapper and smooth  à la Don Draper. Back in 1996, he seemed more like Keanu Reeves in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure than he did his Mad Men persona!

That's when Jon, now 43, was a 25-year-old contestant on The Big Date, where he competed against a stuntman and finance student with frosted tips for a date with Mary Carter, a 25-year-old animation student with "a foot fetish."

The other two gentlemen tried to woo Mary over first before Jon, whose job was listed as "waiter" rather than "aspiring actor," had a chance to (try to) work his charm by detailing his plans for a romantic date.

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"Well, [we'd] start off with some fabulous food," said the semi-awkward  but completely endearing pre-fame star, "a little fabulous conversation, end it with a fabulous foot massage for an evening of total fabulosity."

Um, adorable. Somehow, though, Mary picked the stuntman, though, leaving Jon for the taking when Shonia got her chance to choose a date. Then—and, yes, this is crazy—Shonia also skipped over Jon, opting to stick with the peroxide-friendly financier-in-the-making. In the end, Jon, having failed to score a date, went home alone.

Let this be a lesson, ladies: If you can just look past the middle part, gum-smacking and awkward usage of "fabulous," you might be able to snatch up a Jon Hamm before the other gals catch on!